Trolley for overhead electric railways



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. B. RAE. TROLLBY FOR OVERHEAD ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS. No. 423,391.PatentedMaJr. 11, 1890.

w: Es-s15. INVE'JVZ'OR fizz/ w fauna. f/PW/ w. PETERSYPhnlmLithogriphqr, Walhmglcn, o. c.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet :2,

F. B.RAE. TROLLEY FOR OVERHEAD IELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

Patented Mar. 11, 1890..

UNirED STATES ATENT I FFICE.

FRANK B. RAE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TROLLEY FOR OVERHEAD ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,391, dated March11, 1890.

Application filed November 14, 1889. Serial No. 330,363. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. RAE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of Detroit, in the county of Vayne,

which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an overhead trolley for electric railways, andhas for its object to provide a device of this character which willaccommodate itself to all inaccuracies and conditions of the overheadline without becoming dislodged from its position in contact with theconductor.

Experience has demonstrated the fact that in order to provide anoperative reliable trolley that will meet the demands of practice it isnecessary that the pole carrying the sheave or trolley-wheel shall havepractically a universal motion or swing at its base in order that it mayaccommodate itself to variations in the line-such as curves,differential heights, &c.; and with this object in view my inventionconsists in certain details of construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, all of which will be more fully describedhereinafter, and the specific points of novelty in which will bedesignated in the appendent claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain features andparts which I deem adequate for carrying out my invention in practice.However, I desire it to be here understood that I am not limited to theexact details of construction shown, since obvious changes andvariations can be made without deviating from the fundamental principleof my invention as defined by the scope of the claims, forming a parthereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe polesocket and its auxiliary mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end elevationof Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively side and end elevationsshowing my invention complete.

Like letters of reference mark like or cor responding parts in theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents a metal base-plate of thedesired size and shape,

designed to be secured on top of the car by bolts or otherwise, and B Bare two parallel bearing-plates bolted, respectively, at their lowerextremities to the base-plate A and supported a distance apartapproximately equal to the length of the horizontal shaft C, ,whichlatter is journaled at each end in suitable bearings upheld by saidplates B B.

D indicates a circular disk, mounted loosely on the shaft 0, as shownclearly in Fig.1, and

capable of a certain play thereupon, according to the peculiarity of theshape of the orifice a; and b designates an arc-shaped slot extendingcircumferentially around the upper half of said disk D, while 0 0respectively designate two oppositelysituated arc-shaped slots on thelower half of the disk.

E E respectively indicate two helical or coiled springs, each of whichis fastened at; its lower extremity to the base-plate A, and

at its upper end to a movable slide (Z, which in 7 5 turn is free tomove along in the slot 1) in the upper half of the disk. Thus it will beseen from an inspection of Fig. 1 that if the disk be oscillated in thedirection of the arrow the spring E will be elongated and will tend toretract the said disk, and, conversely, if the disk be moved in theother direction the spring E will similarly operate. It will also beobvious that while one spring is elongated the other is not compressed,since the resist- 8 5 ance of the spring to be compressed will move itsslide d around in the slot 1), thus relieving the inactive spring fromany compression.

F F represent, respectively, two differential coiled helical springs,substantially conical in contour, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Eachspring F or F is connected at its outer extremity to a tightening-nut G,while at its inner end it is secured in its respective slot 0 or c.springs F F is to permit of a yielding lateral or oblique motion of thedisk D when the latter is so actuated, and to replace the same in itsnormal vertical position when the actuating influence is removed.

the lower half of the disk is formed with a broad grooved tread e, ofsufficient width and depth to receive and guide the convolutions of thesprings E E when the latter are elon- The function of these lateral orside 5 The edge of '00 gated and stretched conveXly over the edge of thedisk D. 4 H designates the pole-socket, formed integral with the disk D,and is provided with a socket or seat F, in which the lower end of thepole carrying the trolley-wheel is introduced and secured.

Referring to Fig. 2, g designates a. removable key, that is placed inthe bearing at each end of the shaft 0, between the adjustingnut G andthe bearing, in order to prevent the nut G of the friction of the shaft0.

The tension of the spring F or F may be adjusted at will by the adjusting-nuts G.

From the foregoing description of the differentcomponent parts it willbe seen that the construction of thesprings F-F' E E'and the disk D willpermit the pole and trolley- 'wheel to accommodate themselves to anyvariation, irregularity, or deflection of the overhead conductor withperfect freedom, and furthermore will insure the ready replacement ofthe trolley and trolley-pole toits Vertical position from anyotherposition it has assumed on its travel along the conductor.

My improvement will be found especially useful and operative inconnection with over-- head lines, wherein there are many curves,

bridges, switches, and varying heights of the conductor.

All the parts are simple, durable, and interchangeable,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Ina contact-arm for electric railways, the combination, with asuitable from turning under the influence and capable of easyadjustment. Having thus fully described my invention,

support, of a socket-piece having a disk shape provided with slots nearits periphery, of springs secured to the base on each side of the diskand connected to slides moving in the slots of the disk, substantiallyas described.

3. In a contact-arm for electric railways, a socket-piece looselymounted on a suitable support, in combination with springs connected tothe support and to the disk, arranged to permit the partial rotation ofthe disk, and springs also mounted 011 the support arranged to bearlaterally on the disk to permit lateral motion of the socket,substantially as described.

4:. In a contact-arm for electric railways, the combination, with theshaft, and adisk-shaped socket piece loosely mounted thereon, of springsmounted on the support and bearing laterally against the opposite sidesof the disk, substantially as described.

5. In a contact-arm, the combination, with the support .and adisk-shaped socket-piece having slots near its, periphery, of springsmounted on the base-piece connected to slides arranged in said slots,and other springs surrounding the supporting-shaft and bearing laterallyagainst the disk and having their ends engaging slots in the disk,substantially as described.

6. In a contact-arm for electric railways, the

combination, with the shaft, of a disk-shaped socket-holder having aloose bearing on the shaft, springs connectedwith the socket-piecepermitting forward and backward motion, other springs surrounding theshaft and beari ing laterally against the faces of the disk, .and meansfor adjusting the tension of said springs, substantially'as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day ofOctober, 1889.

FRANK B. RAE. Witnesses:

OHAs. BRUNDAGE,

, F. R. HARDING.

